


Wedding Bells

by Frumious-Bandersnatch (NeverAndAlways)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Complete, Gen, Ghost Hunting, M/M, Same-Sex Marriage, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, especially Dean, pre-wedding nervousness all around
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-26
Updated: 2014-05-28
Packaged: 2018-01-26 15:47:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1693835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverAndAlways/pseuds/Frumious-Bandersnatch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Cas get married.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I'm gettin' married in the morning..." Dean entered the kitchen, singing to himself as he went. His deep voice reverberated through the bunker. "...Something something something something chime..."

Sam was leaning against the counter and munching on a piece of toast. He watched his brother walk by, unsure if he should laugh at this new behavior, or be a little horrified. His free hand reached for the bottle of holy water anyway, just in case.

Dean strolled by again, still singing, typing away on his phone with one hand and holding a granola bar in the other. "...But get me to the church on tiiime..."

"Christo."

"Huh?"

The Hunter looked up just in time to get a faceful of holy water. He sputtered and cursed. "Son of a bitch- what the hell, Sammy?!"

"Just checking."

"Checking what??"

"You were singing. You never sing- especially not on-key."

Dean shook his head, spraying holy water in all directions. "That doesn't mean you hafta exorcise me! Gimme that." he snatched the holy water from his brother's hand, pocketed it, and took a bite of his granola bar.

"What song was that, anyway?" asked Sam.

"You've never seen 'My Fair Lady'?" Dean said through a mouthful of granola.

"...No."

"Don't, it's a stupid movie." he took another bite. "But I woke up with this damn song in my head and it's driving me crazy."

"Gettin' nervous?" Sam chuckled.

"Me, nervous? Hell no." Dean took a deep breath. "...I'm terrified."

"You're gonna be fine, Dean." Sam clapped his brother on the shoulder. "It'll be a simple, quick ceremony, just me and Bobby and a few other people. And you and Cas."

"But I'm a Hunter, Sam. I shouldn't even be getting married in the first place."

"Why the hell not?"

"'Cause...well, you know what happened to mom and dad."

"Dean, they were pretty much screwed from the beginning. You and Cas have nothing to worry about."

"How do you know?"

"I don't. But you can't let that hold you back, either. You and Cas love each other a lot, and that's what matters."

Dean stared at him. "...Wow. Easy on the chick-flick moments."

Sam put on his bitchface. "I'm serious, Dean."

"I know. But this is a big step, Sammy. Just...just let me freak out a little." he shook the empty bottle at Sam. "And no more exorcisms."

Sam sighed as his brother left the kitchen. Tomorrow was either going to go off without a hitch, or it was going to be a disaster.

~**  ☆☆  **~

 

The next day, Dean was a nervous wreck. He hoped it wasn't too obvious, because he thought he might explode at any moment. Here he was, Dean Winchester, about to get married. To a guy. Not just a guy- an angel. An actual Angel of the Lord. Maybe this whole Hunting thing was going to his head. Sure, he loved the guy; if he had to be stuck with someone for the rest of his life, he couldn't do better than Castiel. But actually getting married? That terrified him. It was all he could do not to get in the Impala and just start driving.

But he didn't. And the day wore on, as days tend to do, and the wedding drew closer. Bobby and Sam were great, of course; Bobby helped him with his suit (grumbling all the while), and Sam went to help Cas get ready, and then they were off to Bobby's house. When they arrived, everything looked as it usually did: in complete disarray. Usually this didn't bother Dean at all- hell, he liked the clutter- but today, he couldn't stand it. As soon as they got inside, he started bustling around and cleaning, much to Bobby's dismay. The older Hunter followed in his wake, protesting as he sorted and rearranged.

"Dammit kid, quit fussing. No one's gonna care how the goddamn house looks."

"Yeah, well, I care."

"Good, I'm glad." Bobby grabbed Dean by the shoulders and steered him toward the back door before he could start organizing the Hunting equipment. "Why don't you go outside an' help Ellen and Jo set things up."

Just like that, Dean found himself in the backyard. The door clicked shut- and locked- behind him.

"Hey Winchester. You causin' trouble in there?"

Ellen and Jo Harvelle were standing by the fence, each holding a plastic folding chair and looking at him with amusement. Dean gaped for a moment while his brain caught up to the rest of him. "What...? Yeah, I guess."

Ellen laughed. "Boy, have you got a bad case of nerves. Can't say I blame you; you've found yourself one good-looking angel."

Dean smiled fondly. "Yes, ma'am."

This time it was Jo's turn to laugh. "C'mon, loverboy. Why don't you help us set up these chairs."

Dean oblidged; it was good to get his mind off of the impending wedding. Before long, they had the yard cleaned up and two neat rows of white plastic chairs facing the back fence.

The back door creaked open; Bobby emerged from the house, looking a little uncomfortable in a mint-green dress shirt, black slacks, and a tie.

"Lookin' sharp, Bobby." Dean said with a smile.

"Ah, shut up." the older Hunter said affectionately. He fussed with his tie. "Garth and yer brother are here."

Dean peered over Bobby's shoulder: a gangly young man waved to him from the living room.

"Everyone else'll be here in a little bit." Bobby continued.

"What's our time?"

"T-minus...ninety minutes."

"Okay." Dean turned to walk away, then spun around again. "Wait- if Sam's here, then where's Cas??"

"Relax, boy, he's back at the motel."

"He said he wanted to be alone for a while." Sam appeared behind Bobby, pulling on his suit jacket. "You're not the only one who's got cold feet, Dean. The guy was practically pacing the room when I left."

It was hard to imagine an Angel of the Lord getting cold feet (the phrase alone would confuse him); Dean smiled a little at the thought.

Suddenly, Garth's reedy voice rang out from inside the house. "Dean? Sam? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

The brothers trooped into the living room, where a rather sheepish Garth stood with his cellphone.

"What's up?"

"You guys have been tracking a ghost, right...?"

"Yeah, for almost two months. Why?" Sam and Dean exchanged a glance.

"Well, uh..." Garth rubbed the back of his neck. "I just got a call from one of my sources: there's been a sighting about a mile or two from here. Sounds like it's probably your ghost. I hate to say this, since it's your wedding day and all, Dean, but...if you wanna take this thing down, then now's the time." he looked from Sam to Dean and back again.

"Damn." Sam folded his arms and gave his brother an appraising look. Dean had plunged his hands into his pockets and was staring down at the well-worn carpet.

"I'm sorry, guys." said Garth. "You know I wouldn't have brought it up if-"

"No, it's okay." Sam assured him, before turning to Dean. "Dean...? It's your day, man; you make the call. You wanna go after this thing?"

Dean heaved a sigh and pursed his lips thoughtfully, still staring down at the carpet. When he finally lifted his head, there was a familiar gleam in his eye.

"Sure." he grinned wickedly. "Let's get this sonuvabitch."

The two men grinned in response. Sam pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'll call Cas."

Dean passed Bobby on his way out the door. The older man spun around and grabbed him by the sleeve. 

"Where d'you think you're goin' in such a rush, boy?"

"Hunting."

" **Now?!** "

"That ghost finally showed up again. It's only about a mile away, we'll be back in no time."

"Dean, you've got barely an hour before you're supposed to be walkin' down the aisle!"

"I know, I know, but this might be our only chance to take this thing down once and for all."

Bobby gave him a scowl that could have melted metal. "You idjit. Only you would run off to go Hunting on yer own damn wedding day." then he sighed. "...But obviously there's no convincin' you otherwise. Have you at least told the angel?"

"Sam's giving him a call."

" **Gave** him a call." Sam corrected. He walked up beside Dean, rolling up his shirtsleeves. "He's not too pleased, but he understands."

"Wish he could come with us." lamented Dean.

"I can't believe you two." Bobby grumbled. Garth appeared, clutching a long iron poker from the fireplace. "Aw, not you too...!"

"We'll be back soon, Mister Singer." said Garth.

"You damn well better."

They ignored him. Gear in hand, the three Hunters headed out to the car. Eager as he was to get married, Dean couldn't help feeling a little relieved to be getting away from it all for a while- especially to do something as familiar as Hunting. It was like putting on a favorite old coat; he knew it inside and out, every aspect of it, and it was as familiar to him as breathing. He unlocked the Impala, opened the door, and tossed his things into the back seat- and watched as they hit an invisible barrier.

"Ouch." said a gruff voice.

"...Cas??" Dean stuck his head inside the car.

"Hello Dean."

"What're you doing here??"

"Joining you on your Hunt."

"Not that I'm not glad to, ah, see you, but what happened to wanting to be alone?"

"I realized that I could be far more useful here."

"I think you're missing one really important thing here, guys:" added Sam. "Why is Cas invisible?"

"I was told that on their wedding day, couples are traditionally forbidden to see each other before the ceremony. Dean cannot see me; therefore, I can assist you with the Hunt without breaking tradition."

Dean sighed. This was the guy he was going to marry.

"...He's not wrong." Sam admitted.

"No. No, he's not." Dean agreed. He slid into the driver's seat and looked in the rear-view mirror at his invisible fiance. "Well, uh...visible or not, I'm glad you're here, babe." Cas said nothing, but Dean could almost see his smile.

 

Bobby watched, arms folded, as Dean's sleek black car backed out of the driveway and thundered off down the street. Of all the stupid things...

Ellen came out of the house. "Where'd the boys go?"

Bobby snorted with annoyance. "Huntin'. Barely an hour before the ceremony, the idjits get it into their heads that they need to go kill a ghost."

"Let 'em go." Ellen rolled her eyes. "They'll be back when they get it outta their system. Meanwhile, it gives us old people a chance to rest for a bit." she turned to go back inside, and motioned for him to follow. "C'mon, I'll get us a couple of beers."

"Best idea I've heard all day."

~**  ☆☆  **~

 

Sam, Dean, Garth, and the still-invisble Castiel didn't return from their Hunt for almost two hours. When at last the Impala pulled into the driveway and they piled out, they were all in various states of dishevelment: Garth's suit had been torn, Dean's was thoroughly scuffed, and Sam was sporting a mean-looking cut across his forehead. Bobby hurried out to meet them like a gruff, whiskery mother hen, and shuffled them all inside. "Everyone's here already, ya idjits, what took you so long? C'mon, get inside an' clean yerselves up. Garth, you can wear one of my jackets. You too, Castiel. I know you're there; Come ON."

Dean hung back as everyone else went inside. Suddenly, his heart was pounding; he steadied himself against the Impala. This was it. There were people in that house, lots of people, all of them there to see him and Cas because holy fuck, this was IT, he was getting married. "Oh my god..." he put a hand over his eyes. The adrenaline that made him so fearless during the Hunt was suddenly gone. "I can't do this." he was a Hunter. He'd killed vampires and witches and even a few demons. This should be nothing. But now that it was real, now that all these people were in there waiting for him, CAS was in there waiting for him, his legs were numb and he couldn't take a single step. He sagged back against the car. "I can't do this, I can't do this..."

"Bullshit."

Dean looked up. Bobby stood before him, still looking awkward in his dress shirt and tie. "You're a Winchester," he said, "you can do this, no problem: and I know fer a fact that a lotta the people in there will agree with me on that. Especially this one angel named Castiel...I think you might know 'im. He's pretty cute, an' I hear he likes you an awful lot." Bobby smiled lopsidedly.

Dean still felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest. "But...what if-"

"Uh-uh. No ifs, ands, or buts, kid: it's showtime. Get in there an' do your thing." and before Dean could say another word, Bobby shooed him unceremoniously into the house.

Across the street, a tall, winged being watched them, and smiled to itself.

~**  ☆☆  **~

 

Dean looked out into the backyard and tried not to panic. Any moment now, the music was going to start, and he'd walk down the aisle. He dabbed at his forehead with his sleeve. Both rows of chairs were almost filled...there was Sam in the front row; Charlie was there, and Ellen and Jo; Kevin Tran, Benny, and Chuck were sitting in the second row, along with Bobby; and Garth was standing at the makeshift altar, wearing one of Bobby's sport jackets (which was several sizes too big).

Dean fussed with his own jacket a little. When it came right down to it, he was more excited than nervous: after today, he'd get to spend the rest of his life with this awkward, scruffy, beautiful angel of his- not that he wouldn't have otherwise, but now it was official. Speaking of whom...he hoped Cas was okay. The guy had barely spoken at all during the Hunt.

Before he could follow that thought, however, he heard the speakers click on and a wedding march began to play. That was his cue. He took a deep breath and began to walk down the aisle. 'Not too fast...remember what you rehearsed...' step by step, the altar drew closer; he could almost feel everyone watching him...

"Congratulations, Dean. Didn't think you had it in you."

...Oh no. He'd know that voice anywhere. Dean whipped his head around; grinning at him from the front row was none other than-

"Balthazar??"

"The one and only, luv." the angel drawled. He settled lazily into the chair.

"What the hell are you doing here??" Dean growled.

"Easy, Winchester, don't get your panties in a twist. It's Cas' wedding day, I had to come and pay my respects. Although if I'd known you had such attractive friends-" he draped an arm around Jo's shoulders and gave her a roguish smile, "-I would've come sooner." Dean rolled his eyes as Balthazar continued. "But please, don't stop on my account." the angel waved his hands dismissively; Jo had shoved his arm away. "Just continue with your little ceremony; pretend I'm not here."

As if that were possible. Dean reluctantly turned away and continued down the aisle. He could hear Balthazar whispering to Jo, and desperately hoped the angel wouldn't try anything else because he might have to punch the guy's lights out if he did, and that wouldn't set a very good tone for the wedding. But he reached the altar with no further incident, and stood to wait for Cas.

~**  ◇◆◇  **~

Sitting in the front row, Sam was beginning to think that Dean's nervousness was wearing off on him. He could see Dean sweating from a mile away- but his own heart was pounding too. This was too easy. Save for the last-minute Hunt, everything was going too smoothly. It felt wrong. Something was going to happen, something was going to go wrong, he knew it. Maybe they'd been in the Hunting business too long; he could barely sit still, half-expecting that at any moment, a demon or a witch might show up. But then the music started, and Dean was walking down the aisle, and nothing had happened-

"Balthazar??"

-Ah. Well, at least it wasn't a demon. Sam turned to look across the aisle. The angel Balthazar was lounging in an empty seat, simultaneously flirting with Jo Harvelle and putting on his best innocent look for Dean. Sam felt for the small blade hidden in his pocket, just in case. But Balthazar didn't pull any tricks except smugness, and Dean was able to continue to the altar. Sam glared at the angel (and got a cheeky grin for his trouble), then turned to look back toward the altar.

"Hello, Moose."

Oh. Great. Not only had an Angel of the Lord crashed the wedding, but now the King of Hell, too. When it rains, it pours.

~**  ◇◆◇  **~ 

 

Okay. So Balthazar was here. And Crowley. No big deal, Dean told himself. You can do this, just ignore them. Crowley blew him a sarcastic kiss from the front row; god, but he wanted to punch that demon right in his smug face- no, Dean. Focus. He carefully folded his hands behind his back.

Then the music reached a crescendo and he forgot all about Crowley and Balthazar- because coming out of the house, fully visible now and dressed in a white suit and sky-blue tie, was an angel. His angel.

Castiel strode toward him down the aisle, looking stiff and nervous but nearly glowing as well. He had obviously tried to comb his hair into submission: it was sticking up every which way, but that didn't make him any less handsome. Balthazar wolf-whistled as he passed. Cas ignored him. He reached the altar and turned just long enough to smile at Dean before Garth began to speak. Dean's heart leaped. He barely heard a single word of the young Hunter's speech; not that it mattered much, anyway. He and Cas knew just what they meant to each other- Profound Bond, and all- the rest was really just for show.

A loud, wet sniffling brought him out of his thoughts. "Oh, for the love of-" he sighed once he'd looked around. Standing beside Castiel was a man with longish, dark auburn hair, an oval face, and a long nose: Gabriel. Cas' brother, Archangel of the Lord, and a royal pain in the ass. Gabriel wore an elaborate, pearly-white tux and a hideous polka-dotted bowtie, and he was dabbing theatrically at his eyes with a handkerchief. Cas glared at him. Garth stammered to a halt, startled by the angel's appearance.

"Please, go on." Gabriel said wetly. "I just love weddings." then in a stage whisper to Cas: "Hey little bro." he winked, and Cas rolled his eyes.

"Just ignore him." Dean growled to Garth. The young Hunter awkwardly cleared his throat and began again.

"...Um. Okay...if anyone present here today opposes this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace-"

"BOOOOOOOO." Crowley, his hands cupped around his mouth, enthusiastically made his feelings known. Sam glared daggers at him.

"-Anyone besides Crowley." Garth added.

"Spoilsport."

A few seconds of silence, then Garth continued. "Then do you, Dean Winchester, take Castiel to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do."

"And do you, Castiel, take Dean to br your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Do you have the rings?"

"Heads up, boys." Gabriel tossed the rings to Dean and Cas; they caught and exchanged them as Garth continued to speak- something about precious metals symbolizing the preciousness of love, and something about never-ending circles. Then, finally, Garth addressed the two of them directly, with the words they'd been waiting to hear.

"Then by the power vested in me by the state of South Dakota, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."

Dean and Cas grinned and did just that; in his excitement, Dean nearly swept the angel off his feet. When they came up for air, they were greeted with clapping and cheers.

"Ladies and gentlement, may I present, for the first time: Dean and Castiel Winchester." 

~**  ★★★  **~

 


	2. Epilogue

With the ceremony out of the way, the rest of the afternoon was a breeze. Tables were set up alongside the rows of chairs, and the yard was soon filled with the sound of many voices talking and laughing...it had been a long time since the old Hunter's house really felt like a home. Dean and Cas circulated, starstruck, around the yard, chatting with their guests and being congratulated until their heads nearly spun. Eventually, they managed to slip away to a quiet corner under a tree where they sat on the yellowing grass and enjoyed each other's company. Each held a slice of pie on a paper plate (apple pie, of course; early on in the plans, they had decided on that instead of a traditional wedding cake), but neither ate more than a few bites: they were both too stunned by the morning's events.

Dean looked around the yard and took in the scene: there were Benny and Chuck, milling around by the house; Kevin was sneaking around and trying to avoid Crowley, who had more or less attatched himself to Bobby; Charlie walked by and gave Dean and Cas a thumbs-up; Gabriel was sipping a violently-pink cocktail and trying very hard to get Sam's attention; Ellen was sitting on the back step, coolly surveying the yard; and there by the fence was...oh no. Balthazar was still attempting to flirt with Jo. This would not end well. The tall, lanky angel had cornered her and was putting on quite a show of being suave and charming; she was having none of it. The closer he got, the stonier her expression got and more she balled up her fists. For a moment Dean considered getting up to help her, but he recognized the look on her face and he knew what was coming next...he'd been on the receiving end of it once before. But only once. He watched as Balthazar moved so that he was directly in front of Jo, almost nose-to-nose, placing one long-fingered hand on the fence behind her, and sure enough: she raised her fist and before he could react, there was a loud SMACK as a right-hook punch connected with his jaw. Dean applauded; Gabriel and Sam cheered. Jo walked away without another word to the blond angel; across the yard, Dean could see Ellen beaming proudly at her daughter (Balthazar, meanwhile, had slunk away to the ice chest with a mean red mark on his face and a thoroughly bruised ego).

Cas looked at Dean, concern evident on his face. "I...I don't understand why that was funny."

"Well, it..." Dean gestured vaguely, trying to find the right words. "He...what it all boils down to is, he was being a jerk, and..he deserved that. I'll explain it more later."

This seemed to satisfy the angel; he nodded. They sat in silence for a moment while the party resumed around them.

"So." Dean said at last.

"So?" echoed Cas.

Dean held up his hand, turning it this way and that and watching as the late-Spring sunlight glistened on his gold ring. "...We're official now." he said contemplatively.

"We were not 'official' before...?"

"Well yeah, but...now we're **married**. For better or worse, till death do us part and all that..."

"Yes." the angel said. He leaned forward and kissed the Hunter, slowly and lazily; Dean smiled against Cas' mouth and returned the kiss, savoring it as though they hadn't seen each other in years-

"Hey guys, hope I'm interrupting something...!"

-of course. Not a moment to themselves. Dean and Cas looked up; a slightly red-faced Gabriel was grinning down at them. "Thought you could escape the festivities, huh?" the angel asked. Cas wrinkled his nose.

"Gabriel, are you intoxicated?" he said disapprovingly.

His brother chuckled, a little unsteadily. "Just tipsy, brother dear. Not on that disgusting stuff you call beer, though...I, uh, brought my own, as it were." he chuckled again, proud of himself. Then he reached down to grab Dean's wrist in one hand and Cas' in the other. "C'mon lovebirds, you'll have plenty of time for necking on your honeymoon. It's time for presents...!" with that, the couple were hauled to their feet and led away across the yard.

One of the tables was strewn with packages of various sizes and shapes. Most of the guests had migrated to the table and were chatting amongst themselves- except Balthazar, who had found some frozen peas and was sulking on the ice chest with the bag held against his jaw. Gabriel released the couple suddenly and made a beeline for Sam; he looped an arm around the Hunter's waist and waggled his eyebrows at him. "Hey Sasquatch." Sam flushed bright pink and tried to wriggle out of the inebriated angel's grasp.

Crowley had wandered over to the table just as Gabriel, Dean, and Cas arrived. He reached into his jacket and drew out a small, intricately-patterned black envelope, which he handed to Cas with a flourish. "Congratulations, Feathers." Cas took the envelope gingerly and held it as though it might explode. "Go on," Crowley chuckled. "It's not gonna eat you. Probably." the demon smirked.

"No offense, Crowley, but...we don't exactly trust you." said Dean.

"Then there's hope for you yet." when Cas still didn't move, Crowley rolled his eyes. "Oh for goodness' sake- give it here." he took the envelope and tore it open in one quick gesture, then turned it upside down and shook it. "See? No hellhounds, not even confetti." he handed it back to Cas, who carefully removed its contents: a single slip of scarlet paper, about the size of a dollar bill, printed with spidery text on one side. "It's a coupon," Crowley explained, "for one paranormal-free date night. You're welcome."

Dean and Cas examined the coupon. "How can we trust that you will honor it...?" asked Cas, eyeing the demon skeptically. Crowley snorted. "Relax, Feathers. I am nothing if not honest. You have my word: you can redeem that coupon for one date night free of ghosts, demons, telemarketers, et cetera. Scout's honor. Just burn the thing to let me know." The couple exchanged a skeptical look; seemingly satisfied, Dean reached out his hand to shake Crowley's- then thought better of it and clapped him on the shoulder instead. "Thanks, man." Crowley smirked.

 

The opening of presents continued. After Crowley came Charlie: she gave Cas a new tie, and made him promise to wear it. Kevin gave them a Hunting almanac ("I didn't even know that was a thing," Dean mused as he flipped through the pages); Benny gave Dean a set of titanium-plated throwing knives, and Cas an ornately-carved dagger; Chuck gave the couple a bottle of Scotch whiskey (this earned him a rare hug from Dean); from Ellen, Cas received a beautiful flintlock pistol with wings inlaid in mother-of-pearl along the barrel; from Jo, he received a set of silver bullets. He accepted both gifts with a nod and a solemn "thank you". Bobby gave Dean a butterfly knife that had once belonged to John Winchester, saying gruffly that he didn't have much use for it and besides, John would have wanted him to have it. Next came Garth, who handed Cas a present wrapped in newspaper. The angel unwrapped it carefully and held it up: a blanket, made of soft, thick flannel and easily large enough to cover Dean's bed in the bunker. It was midnight-blue and covered with protective sigils of all kinds, embroidered in silver thread. Cas traced them almost lovingly. There were general sigils of protection, marks to repel ghosts, seals to keep demons at bay..."You made this..?" he asked the young Hunter. Garth's ears turned decidedly red.

"Yeah, it...I know it's not very good..." he said apologetically.

"Not very good?? Dude, it's fantastic!" Dean retorted. He pulled Garth into a one-armed hug, which only made the young man blush harder. Suddenly Gabriel pushed himself through the group to grin cheekily at the young couple, having finally released his hold on Sam. "Hey, hey, enough with the mushy stuff, you haven't even seen my present yet...!" Cas looked up from folding the blanket into his lap, and raised an eyebrow at his brother.

"Gabriel, what have you-?"

The older angel silenced him with a wave of his hand. "Oh, put your feathers down, kid." he handed Cas a box, unwrapped but colored in cotton-candy pink. "This is for both of you." he said with a wink. Cas eyed him speculatively.

"Go on." Gabriel encouraged. Castiel slowly pried the lid off the box, peered inside- and his face flushed pink from chin to ears. Gabriel cackled. " **Gabriel...!** " said the younger angel severely; his brother laughed even harder. 

"What?" Dean leaned over the back of Cas' chair and reached for the box. "Cas, what is it?" Cas moved the box out of his reach, which only made Dean more curious. "C'mon, it can't be that bad."

"Yes, do tell." added Crowley, who had sauntered over to see what all the fuss was about.

"I would...rather not." said Castiel, still red-in-the-face. But before he could do anything more, the demon reached down and plucked the box from his hands. He glanced inside before passing it to Dean, and whistled. "You little devil." he gently elbowed Cas. "And I say that with the utmost respect." Cas glared at him. Dean had also peeked inside the box, and was now glaring his disapproval at Gabriel. 

"What?" said the angel innocently. "It's for your honeymoon."

Dean gave him a shove. "Get outta here...!" Gabriel walked away, cackling, to join a still-sulking Balthazar at the ice chest. Dean, meanwhile, stowed the bright-pink box under a chair, half-hoping that it would be forgotten.

~**  ☆☆  **~

It was near evening by the time the reception ended. Balthazar had never quite gotten over his earlier rejection; he slunk away shortly after the gifts were given, taking most of the ice chest's contents with him. Gabriel continued to pick on both Castiel and Sam until his brother very pointedly asked him to leave. Everyone else trickled out slowly, by themselves or in pairs; Garth had to be woken up a few times, in various places, before he gave up going home and settled on the couch. Eventually only a handful of people were left, cleaning up the remains. Bobby, Dean, and Cas folded up chairs and put away tables; Crowley hung around, smoking a large, foul cigar and generally being a nuisance. But at last, the yard was empty.

Dean and Castiel returned to their spot under the tree. They lay nestled together, Cas' head pillowed on Dean's arm, and savored the evening quiet. As his husband dozed (his **husband** \- it felt a little strange to refer to Cas as such), Dean let his thoughts wander a little. He was exhausted from the day's events: the combination of pre-wedding nerves and an unexpected Hunt had drained him of just about all his energy. But still...he was happier than he had been in some time. With all they'd been through, seperately and together- Hell, the Leviathans, Purgatory, and all the rest- it was hard to believe that a happily-ever-after of any kind was possible for them. Either of them. And yet here they were. Married, and about to leave on their honeymoon. It wasn't the end of the story, not by a long shot; he knew there was still a lot of shit in their future. But now they'd be dealing with it together. Dean sighed...things were looking up.

 ~**  ★★★  **~


End file.
